Productivity lifted by UK’s migrant staff
HIRING migrant workers has boosted productivity in the UK according to research published today, which also showed that British-born employees now appreciate the need for skilled migration.
The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (Niesr) said that hiring workers from outside the UK has enabled firms to fill vacancies in highly-skilled or specialised roles.
The report, which looked at outcomes from focus groups, interviews with employers, and statistics, said that the average migrant worker has a better education, a higher skill level and tended to work longer hours than British workers. This runs contrary to public belief that migrant workers tend to fill low-skilled roles.
According to the findings, both employers and British workers recognise the positive effect that migrant workers have in the workplaces in the UK.
Heather Rolfe, who co-authored the report, said: “We hear a lot about public opinion and concern about migration, but our findings suggest that the need for skilled migration is more widely accepted than is often believed.”